Serbia/kosovo border clashes

[brihard]

Which sounds great until Russia declares that any attack on Serbia is an attack on Russia. They've played chicken with us before, and we've lost.

And then what? They’re getting humiliated by Ukraine. What are they gonna do, try to project their air power across western Ukraine, Romania and Hungary? There’s little sense in Russia pulling their dicks out on this one. A look at the map says they can’t reach the urinal.

In any case, the more I read on this, the more it seems like relatively minor and recurring drama. Does Russia have a finger in the pie? Probably. But I think Serbia can look at a map and do the math.

 

[PuckChaser]

Unless the cowardice is gone from western politicians, just a threat of Russian military force is enough to delay any kinetic action. It doesn't matter that we all know militarily that they're a 3rd rate force that is all but spent in Ukraine. Destabilization and delays by negotiating just allow them to push their goals in the region.

 

[brihard]

Unless the cowardice is gone from western politicians, just a threat of Russian military force is enough to delay any kinetic action. It doesn't matter that we all know militarily that they're a 3rd rate force that is all but spent in Ukraine. Destabilization and delays by negotiating just allow them to push their goals in the region.

Given that all that’s necessary is to defend Kosovo, all that’s needed is for KFOR to move some troops forward, perhaps fly in some reinforcements with heavy fire support as a show of force, and just stare at the Serbians til this simmers down. Maybe allow a few squadrons of strike aircraft to be seen squawking in the AO. I truly think Serbia can be deterred on this. They’re still a rational actor.

 

[OldSolduer]

I believe it was the Serbians who started the 1992 Bosnian war and genocide.

To be honest there was a lot of blame to go around on all three sides.

 

[CBH99]

Which sounds great until Russia declares that any attack on Serbia is an attack on Russia. They've played chicken with us before, and we've lost.

They can pretend they are the NATO of the east all they want, and declare an attack on either faction is an attack on 'Mother Russia' - and Mother Russia will come to their aid, etc.

Putin played his cards smart in Syria, and also in Libya. He deployed his best trained & equipped units/squadrons, and took steps to limit what targets the US would even consider bombing.

But that was then, and this is now...


Now Russia is bogged down in a full scale war with Ukraine, and it isn't going well by any means.

Russia is still trying to figure out how to flesh out their brutally understrengrh infantry units without extending the draft to junior high students...


Trying to plan another military operation somewhere else? Right now? I think the folks at the Kremlin are having more than enough Picard facepalm moments as it is

 

[Skysix]

Not really, Italy and the US have an Airborne brigade each just across the Adriatic, plus a lot of air assets, if given the order they would be bombing Serbia within two hours.

That is ideal yes but not likely to be a US led or implemented decision. Hopefully they won't be obstructionist about it.

NATO still stands for No (timely) Action Talk Only. KFOR might be better if they gave some kinetic autonomy but memories of the Medak pocket and Srebrenica tend to prove the opposite.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Meanwhile, in the British lines at Camp Bond Steel

fill your boots on X: "Yeah no dramas - just for future reference https://t.co/LxZbMpt3Q2 https://t.co/MK8Ewpxt7h" / X (twitter.com)


fill your boots on X: "Evening mate. please keep anon. Further to the Camp Bonsteel WarmKit crackdown. for context we've got a battalion that was out here for a summer exercise which then became an Operational deployment while out here so were issued NO cold weather pack. Other attachments were…" / X (twitter.com)

 

[medicineman]

Meanwhile, in the British lines at Camp Bond Steel

fill your boots on X: "Yeah no dramas - just for future reference https://t.co/LxZbMpt3Q2 https://t.co/MK8Ewpxt7h" / X (twitter.com)


fill your boots on X: "Evening mate. please keep anon. Further to the Camp Bonsteel WarmKit crackdown. for context we've got a battalion that was out here for a summer exercise which then became an Operational deployment while out here so were issued NO cold weather pack. Other attachments were…" / X (twitter.com)

Sounds like being on exercise with Voldemorte...

 

[Halifax Tar]

Meanwhile, in the British lines at Camp Bond Steel

fill your boots on X: "Yeah no dramas - just for future reference https://t.co/LxZbMpt3Q2 https://t.co/MK8Ewpxt7h" / X (twitter.com)


fill your boots on X: "Evening mate. please keep anon. Further to the Camp Bonsteel WarmKit crackdown. for context we've got a battalion that was out here for a summer exercise which then became an Operational deployment while out here so were issued NO cold weather pack. Other attachments were…" / X (twitter.com)

That's so British it hurts.